Services · Drafting & design
Drawings a plan checker can approve.
Good drawings aren't just accurate — they anticipate what the reviewer will ask. We draft permit sets designed to survive plan check, not just to look right.
Tell us the project and the city. If it doesn't need a permit, we'll say so.
What separates a set that passes from one that bounces.
It starts with a measure
A permit set stands on its as-built drawings. We measure the site and the existing structure ourselves, so the set matches reality — because a discrepancy the inspector finds later is far more expensive than an hour with a tape measure now.
Designed inside the rules
Setbacks, height limits, egress, natural light and ventilation, energy code — the design is drawn inside your city's constraints from the first line, not adjusted after a rejection.
A complete sheet index
Cities reject sets for what's missing more than for what's wrong. We build the sheet index from your jurisdiction's own submittal checklist, so the set walks in complete.
Engineers where the code wants them
Structural work — removing walls, new openings, second stories — needs calculations from a licensed engineer. We coordinate that directly and fold the engineering into the set, so you're not managing two firms.
A-2.0
How cities differ
Two cities can read the same code differently. One wants full Title 24 energy documentation with initial submittal; another accepts it at permit issuance. One requires survey-grade site plans; another accepts assessor data for a small remodel. We draft to the specific checklist, not to a generic standard.
Your city
What will your city want to see in the set?
Tell us the project and the city. If it doesn't need a permit, we'll say so.
The deliverables.
- 01Site measure and as-built documentation
- 02Site plan, floor plans, elevations and sections
- 03Title 24 energy documentation, coordinated
- 04Structural details and calculations coordinated with licensed engineers where required
- 05Sheet index matched to your jurisdiction's submittal checklist
A-4.0
What we don’t do
We're a design and drafting firm, not a licensed architecture practice — and for the residential scopes we take on, California law doesn't require one. Where a project does need a licensed architect or engineer of record, we tell you at the consult and coordinate the right professional.
Asked about drafting, specifically.
01Do I need a licensed architect?
For most single-family residential work in California, no — the law allows unlicensed designers to prepare these plans, which is why drafting firms exist. Structural elements still need a licensed engineer's calculations, which we coordinate. If your project crosses into territory that requires an architect of record, we'll say so up front.
02Can you work from my sketches?
Yes — a napkin sketch, a Pinterest board, or a walkthrough of what you want is plenty to start. We turn it into measured, code-compliant drawings.
03What do you need from me to start?
The property address and a description of what you want to do. We pull the parcel and zoning data, then schedule the site measure.
Your project
Get a drawing quote for your project.
Send the address and what you have in mind. We’ll check the parcel and the jurisdiction, then reply with what your city will require, what we’d produce, and the cost.
- What your city will ask for, specifically
- What we'd draw, and what needs an engineer
- A quote for the drawings, the expediting, or both
- A straight answer if it doesn't need a permit at all
Tell us the project and the city. If it doesn't need a permit, we'll say so.
Or send it now